


A Winter's Day

by TheCourtSorcerer



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Consort Merlin, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Gifts, Good morgana, King Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), M/M, Picnic, Plotless Fluff, Snow Day, married merthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28351737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCourtSorcerer/pseuds/TheCourtSorcerer
Summary: Merlin and Arthur take a day off for a winter picnic.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	A Winter's Day

**Author's Note:**

> This has literally no plot. None at all. It's just pointless married merthur fluff because I wanted to write something happy for the week of yule/christmas/winter solstice. I also had no idea how to end this, so I apologize if it seems abrupt.
> 
> it's literally just a mush of stuff that made me smile to write while I take a break from the actual fic with a real plot I'm working on.

“ _Arthur…”_ A voice murmured, luring the king from his sleep like a siren tempting their sailor, “ _Arthur, wake up…”_

The voice was so soft, tender… Yet, Arthur only rolled over and dragged the duvet over his head roughly to cover his ears and block it out. _Damned siren_ , he thought in his sleep-tainted haze, trying desperately to stay in the world of rest. Alas, the siren did not give up, much to the poor king’s great distress.

“Arthur, c’mon, it’s time to wake up,” the siren tempted, “I’ve let you sleep in long enough already, any longer and you’ll sleep away the day! Wake up!”

Arthur groaned in frustration, pulling his barrier up further as if it would help block out the sound of the voice—the voice which was growing less tender and loving and more exasperated and annoyed, if Arthur’s half-asleep mind could identify such things correctly.

Then, the siren huffed loudly. “Oh, for the love of—!” He buried his face into his warm barrier at the exclamation, before suddenly it was ripped off him and out of his hands as he was exposed to the harsh cold of his fire-less chambers.

“ _Mer_ lin!” Arthur gasped, finally opening his eyes as a shiver ran through him, “Give that back you—you idiot! It’s _cold_!” If his voice came out more of a whine than an order, well, Arthur would deny it ‘til death and even after.

The siren, better known as Merlin, just rolled his eyes and wrapped the duvet around himself where he stood beside the bed. “ _Get up_ , you lazy arse. It’s nearly midday and we have plans! Unless you’ve forgotten what today is…” Merlin adds the last part in a small voice as he waddled over to the window in his blanket roll and threw open the curtains.

“Midday? Merlin, you spoil me. Of course, I haven’t forgotten… Mm, it’s much too bright.” Arthur blocked his eyes from the light as he sat up and looked to Merlin with a frown. The warlock stared out the window with a soft expression, a small smile twitching at his lips when he took in the scene outside the glass. With his own fond smile, the king hauled himself out of the bed and stumbled over to the window, rubbing his eyes as he walking. He walked right up behind Merlin and wrapped his arms around his blanket-covered waist, leaning over to the side to look over his shoulder out the window.

“It’s snowing…” He said softly. Merlin just hummed and turned around in his arms, his smile now aimed at Arthur, something Arthur truly adored. He loved when that smile was aimed at him…

“Perfect weather for a winter picnic,” he commented, carefully pulling his arms out of the duvet wrapped around himself so he could wrap them around Arthur’s waist.

“It is, isn’t it? Good thing we had one planned, yes?”

“Oh, yes, but first…”

“First…?” Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“First,” Merlin chuckled, “we need to get dressed. I’ve already got the basket packed, and horses ready. Knights know where we’re headed, and Morgana has promised to keep an eye on things while we’re out, even though we’ll only be gone for the day and surely nothing could happen in that time.”

Arthur tilted his head a moment before letting go of Merlin and walking to his wardrobe. “If anything goes wrong while we’re out today, I am blaming you because you honestly just said that. I’ll talk to Morgana before we leave… Here, it’s cold out, perfect excuse to wear the new shirt I bought you.”

Merlin took the soft, purple tunic from his husband when he held it out. He walked behind the changing screen and pulled it on before walking over the wardrobe, gently pushing Arthur out of the way as he looked around for a pair of warm breeches to wear. Arthur let out an indignant yelp at the way he was shoved away.

“You know, you could have asked me to move,” He grumbled as he picked out a pair of brown breeches and a heavy white tunic for himself.

“You would have told me to wait, and you take forever, you always second guess your choice when someone’s not picking for you.” Merlin walked back to the screen and finished changing. “You’re so indecisive.”

“That is not true! I am decisive!”

“Oh, really? What colour shirt are you holding right now?”

“…Green.”

“I thought you had that new white one, or perhaps you were holding a red one… Oh! No, sorry, you held both, because you can’t decide.” Merlin stepped out from behind the screen, adjusting the ties on his shirt. Just when Arthur went to (uselessly) protest, his consort continued:

“Go with the blue, the deep blue, one, with the dark trousers. It looks nice on you, I should know, I dressed you for how many years?” He grinned, carefully putting on his boots.

Arthur hesitated for a second, staring at Merlin. Since when did he know anything about fashion? “Since when do you know anything about fashion?”

“I don’t,” Merlin shrugged absentmindedly, “I just know what looks good on _you_.”

A smile spreads across the blonds face at his lover’s words. Gods, it was like he didn’t even realize what he did to Arthur… Even simple words like that made his heart race and face heat.

"Of course, you do…” He murmured, a soft, affectionate look on his face as he stared at Merlin where he sat on their bed. As Arthur moved behind the screen and got changed, all he could think about was how much he loved that warlock.

* * *

The ground was beautifully whitened by snow, the blanket in the clearing the husbands arrived at was untouched aside from the soft prints made by their horses and themselves. It was freezing cold, but the icy bite of the air was comforting. Merlin took a deep breath and began to set up their picnic on the cold, snow-covered ground.

Arthur watched Merlin carefully lay out their blanket, a warm hum running through him when he saw blue eyes melt to gold.

“What was that?” He asked, tilting his head in curiosity as he tied their horses to a stump, “What kind of spell?”

“Huh? Oh, I just set up a kind of…barrier…of sorts of the blanket so it doesn’t get all wet from the snow!” Merlin explained, and even though Arthur had looked away to tie the horses, he could practically hear the delighted grin in his husband’s voice.

Once he finished securing their rides, he turned back and walked over to the blanket where Merlin was now setting out their meal. “I’m surprised, _Mer_ lin, that was a smart idea.”

“ _Hey_!” Eyes glowed gold again and suddenly the king felt a (gentle) slap to the back of his head. “Prat.”

Arthur let out a loud laugh, rubbing where he was magic-slapped as he looked to the warlock. “I do believe it is _treason_ to use magic against your king.”

“Oh really, now? What about against my clotpole of a husband?” Merlin teased, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. Arthur stared at him, pretending to think for a moment.

“Hmm… Well, I think that depends on if _someone_ doesn’t complain when I give him his yule gift.”

"You got me a gift? What is it? Why am I going to complain? _What is it_?”

That warm feeling filled Arthur again at the puppy-like excitement that radiated off of Merlin, his eyes wide with curiosity and joy. It seemed once he got used to Arthur presenting him with gifts at random, he rather liked when he was spoiled by his husband. He still tended to whine about the really expensive things, though. Arthur didn’t want him to whine over this one. This one meant something.

“Well… I was going to wait until the solstice next week to give it to you, but I decided I want you to wear it to the celebration,” Arthur told him, walking back over to his horse and taking out a square parcel from his bag. He headed back to Merlin and sat across from him with the gift.

Merlin sat up straighter. “Wear it? Is it more clothing? Arthur, I don’t need any more cloth—”

“It’s not clothes,” Arthur interrupts with a huff, fiddling with the red fabric that wrapped the box before finally holding it out, “here… Open it.”

He watched with bated breath as Merlin took the present from his hands and began to inspect it. It was very messily wrapped with the cloth, and tied badly with a thin string, but Arthur took pride in his work. The way his warlock stared at it with such a soft, pleased smile only added to this. Finally, Merlin unwrapped it to reveal a dark, handmade wooden box with two intertwined dragons carved onto what must have been the lid.

“Arthur, this is… beautiful,” Merlin said softly, trailing a hand gently down the wood as he admired the work. “Where did you—?”

“There’s more,” Arthur hummed, “inside the box. Open it.”

Merlin’s eyes went wide for a moment in surprise, before he muttered an ‘okay’ and hesitantly opened the lid. The first thing he saw when he opened it was deep red velvet lining the box, and then… He gasped loudly.

“ _Arthur_!”

The blond in question bit his bottom lip nervously, worrying it between his teeth as he watched Merlin stare inside the box with wide, stunned eyes. “Do… So, do you like it?”

There was a moment of silence, a stretched silence that made Arthur want to scream. Then, _finally_ , Merlin replied.

“I… I _love_ it. I do…” His voice was hardly a whisper, but Arthur heard and the anxious tension dropped from his shoulders. “Gods, Arthur, this is…” Merlin huffed out a small, breathless laugh, “this is _stunning_. Where? Where did you get this?”

“Well… That’s why it’s so special…” Arthur began, taking a deep breath, “I commissioned it from the druids. I bought and brought them the materials, and they crafted it specifically for you at my request…”

He felt his cheeks flush faintly at the look of love and shock that covered Merlin’s face when the warlock looked from the box to him. “Really? Arthur, I don’t even know what to say. I love it, thank you… But what will we do with my, well, my old one, now?”

“Well, I was thinking we could save that for whoever is named heir. After all, it was mine when I was crown prince, it should be passed down to the next,” Arthur suggested

“Ah, I like that idea.”

“I do, too…Can I put it on you?”

Arthur bit back a grin when Merlin nodded and carefully pulled out the circlet and held it out to him. Instead, he just took the piece and leaned close before placing it on Merlin’s bowed head. When it was on, Arthur sat back in his place and Merlin raised his head.

“So… How does it look?” The sorcerer asked, looking almost nervous as he smiled at his husband. Arthur, on the other hand, was practically awestruck. He stared at Merlin openly, admiring the handcrafted crown upon his head almost reverently. It was truly stunning. The circlet was three loosely braided bands of bright, polished silver and adorned by a glittering, small, ruby in the center-front. It was perfect.

“It looks—you look,” Arthur paused, shaking his head before a stupid grin broke out on his face, “ _Incredible_. Absolutely incredible.”

Merlin sighed in relief, a grin of his own gracing his features. He raised a hand and adjusted the circlet slightly. “If I would have known you were bringing my gift, I would’ve brought yours. I didn’t realize we were exchanging before the solstice.”

Arthur just shrugged, still admiring the way the circlet looked on him. “I wanted to surprise you. I only decided just before we left that I was going to give it to you now.”

"Well, remind me when we get back to not let you sleep until you’ve opened your gift.”

“I will. Now, shall we eat before our meal freezes?”

“Oh! Yes, sorry, let me just…” Blue turned to gold, Arthur’s heart skipped a beat, and their food was steaming again as snow still fell around them.

It really was the perfect winter’s day. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Happy Holidays everyone!


End file.
